The Lost Egyptian City of California
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On a road trip up the central California coast a little while ago, I grew very excited spotting a pile of old plaster and sticks on top of a sand dune. For those who know me and my love of quirky roadside discoveries, this should come as no surprise.
In 1923, this dune was the site of the largest set in movie history - legendary film director Cecil B. DeMille constructed an enormous ancient Egyptian city out of plaster to make his biblical epic. When filming was complete, the set was collapsed and buried by the shifting sands. There is a fascinating documentary ("The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille") about the efforts to do "Egyptian excavation" in the middle of California in the century that has followed, and the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center has an incredible display of the best statues found so far. I enjoyed visiting it years ago.
But this time I wanted to see the actual site. Plus, I had heard that the dunes, right next to the Pacific, were a beautiful visit in themselves.
They certainly are. Early morning fog, and the juxtaposition of grey ocean and misty dunes, are very moving. Because the dunes are a nesting site for the snowy plover, it's unwise to go stomping around in the area. But as I drove along the main road, I spotted a jumble of debris on the top of a dune. Could that be it? Could finding the lost city be this easy?
Talking to the first park ranger I encountered, they confirmed that yes, that was it. A century later, scattered surface debris was still evident. Perhaps if I revisit in the non-nesting season some time, I'll be able to walk up there, and imagine what discoveries await. After all, experts believe that under the dunes, sphinxes and other Egyptian mysteries still await excavation.
